2001-2002 Zurich Premiership | |
Champions: | Leicester Tigers (6th title) |
Runnersup: | Sale Sharks |
Relegated: | None |
Matches: | 139 |
Attendance: | 1043625 |
Prevseason: | 2000–01 |
Nextseason: | 2002–03 |
The 2001-02 Zurich Premiership was the 15th season of the top flight of the English domestic rugby union competitions.
Leeds Tykes were promoted to replace the relegated Rotherham.
Halfway through the season, with Leicester odds-on to win their fourth title in succession, it was decided that the winners of the playoffs would be crowned champions. After a public outcry at moving the goalposts halfway through the tournament, this was not followed through. Instead, they launched the Zurich Championship, a play off competition involving 8 teams below the champions, providing the winner with a 'wildcard' European qualification. Leicester did finish top of the league and were crowned champions; their fourth title in succession and their sixth overall. Gloucester won the eight team Zurich Championship play-offs in 2001–02.
Leeds Tykes finished bottom of the table but avoided relegation due to the inadequacies of Rotherham's ground.
Team | Stadium | Capacity | City/Area |
---|---|---|---|
Bath | Recreation Ground | 8,200 | Bath, Somerset |
Bristol Shoguns | Memorial Stadium | 12,100 | Bristol |
Gloucester | Kingsholm | 11,000 | Gloucester, Gloucestershire |
Harlequins | The Stoop | 8,500 | Twickenham, London |
Leeds Tykes | Headingley Stadium | 22,250 | Leeds, West Yorkshire |
Leicester Tigers | Welford Road | 16,250 | Leicester, Leicestershire |
London Irish | Madejski Stadium | 24,161 | Reading, Berkshire |
London Wasps | Loftus Road | 18,439 | Shepherd's Bush, London |
Newcastle Falcons | 10,000 | ||
Northampton Saints | Franklin's Gardens | 11,700 | Northampton, Northamptonshire |
Sale | Heywood Road | 5,400 | Sale, Greater Manchester |
Saracens | Vicarage Road | 22,000 | Watford, Hertfordshire |
Seed | Team | Table points | Wins | Points diff |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Leicester Tigers | 83 | 18 | +309 |
2 | Sale Sharks | 69 | 14 | +72 |
3 | Gloucester | 68 | 14 | +207 |
4 | London Irish | 57 | 11 | +109 |
5 | Northampton Saints | 56 | 12 | +80 |
6 | Newcastle Falcons | 56 | 12 | +32 |
7 | London Wasps | 54 | 12 | +12 |
8 | Bristol Shoguns | 50 | 9 | -32 |
Note: Flags to the left of player names indicate national team as has been defined under World Rugby eligibility rules, or primary nationality for players who have not earned international senior caps. Players may hold one or more non-WR nationalities.
Source:[1]
Rank | Player | Club | Points |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Barry Everitt | London Irish | 343 |
2 | Ludovic Mercier | Gloucester | 334 |
3 | Charlie Hodgson | Sale Sharks | 273 |
4 | Paul Burke | Harlequins | 258 |
5 | Paul Grayson | Northampton Saints | 238 |
6 | Felipe Contepomi | Bristol | 221 |
7 | Jonny Wilkinson | Newcastle Falcons | 215 |
8 | Tim Stimpson | Leicester Tigers | 212 |
9 | Luke Smith | Saracens | 194 |
10 | Alex King | Wasps | 183 |
Source:[2]